Borderlands 4 Metacritic Score Revealed (And It’s Just What Fans Wanted)

Although Borderlands 3 performed reasonably well with critics, many longstanding fans of the franchise walked away disappointed. After the previous game fell short of expectations, fans have been cautiously optimistic about Borderlands 4. Early looks at gameplay suggested that this game might be a return to form for the franchise. Now, the early reviews have rolled in, and we have a Metacritic Score for Borderlands 4 that suggests fans might just get what they hoped for.

Ahead of the game’s September 12th release, reviews for Borderlands 4 have begun rolling in. So far, Metacritic’s review score aggregation places the game at an 84 Metascore. That’s not quite the height of Game of the Year contenders, but it’s nevertheless solidly in the “Generally Favorable” range. This is a few points higher than Borderlands 3‘s 81, but it’s not the score alone that proves Borderlands 4 is answering fans’ hopes and dreams. Based on the early reviews, this game will be a return to what fans loved about earlier games in the Borderlands series.

Critics Praise Borderlands 4 As a Return to Form for the Franchise

For many fans of Borderlands and Borderlands 2, the third installment was a bit of a letdown. The game changed up the series’ art style in a way that many fans didn’t appreciate, and it also fell short of delivering the kind of story many players had come to expect from the franchise. Compared to prior games, it also didn’t offer as much gameplay depth or variety. But despite the mixed reception of Borderlands 3, many players were hopeful for Borderlands 4 bringing back what they loved about the series. And it looks like Gearbox just might have nailed it.

Early reviews for Borderlands 4 praise the game as a return to “most of [the] old strengths” of the franchise. Others have gone so far as to say the game is “the redemption the saga needed,” adding that Gearbox has actually listened to feedback from the prior game and addressed fan complaints. The game looks poised to build on the success of Borderlands 2 while fixing the missteps of its direct predecessor. And that means all the chaos, fun, and solid storytelling that fans were hoping to see, plus a few new mechanics to keep things interesting.

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Thus far, the Metacritic Score is only available for the PC version of the game. So, it’s possible console ports for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 could earn a slightly different rating as they roll in. It’s also possible that the user score could again differ from what critics have to say, as was the case with Borderlands 3. But so far, it’s looking like this installment will be the comeback fans were hoping to see from Borderlands 4.

Borderlands 4 releases on September 12th for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. You can check out our release time guide for the exact moment you’ll be able to play the latest Borderlands game in your time zone.

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